Finale of Mine
by EuphemiaD
Summary: Once the full moon shows up, I was told. And here it is. - A closure for Serena Joy after the events from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.


Set some time after the end of the events from The Handmaid's Tale but way before the Historical notes/epilogue. I apologize in advance for any mistakes; please keep in mind that English is my third language.

I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize as not mine is not mine. No profit made!

**Finale of Mine**

The sun is setting, blazing the sky in its brilliant shades of gold as it slips below the horizon. Looking out the window, I inhale deeply as if in attempt to devour the tranquillity emanating from the desolate landscape of the city of Gilead. Enthralled, I raise my right hand to brush my finger tips on the smooth glass panel and trace the outlines of an oak-tree, obdurate in not letting it be consumed by the darkness of the indigo black sky. After a minute, or was it ten minutes I cannot tell, I sign heavily, then taking one more deep breath I turn away from the window. The sun is gone, leaving only a trace of its presence in the soft glow of the new, rising moon. 'Once the full moon shows up' I was told. And here it is. 'Time to go'. In one swift motion I grab the black cloak, which I have earlier hung on the back of a nearby chair and turn to leave.

'After tonight, Serena Joy will never be seen again.' I whisper before shutting the door.

Restless, that has been the prevalent emotion in my life for quite a long time now. And that is exactly how I feel at this moment, determinedly heading towards my destination. This agitation has steadily amplified over the last few weeks. With every moment the pressing need to leave burns with a greater and greater intensity. This is all because everything is changing again: new authorities came into play. They are keeping a low profile, not wanting chaos among the citizens, but I know that they want a new system institutionalized here in Gilead. How they managed to come to the fore so quickly remains the biggest question to me. There have been many trials held over the last few months. A few days ago there was the trial of our Commander, whom they accused of "being in possession of a substantial and unauthorized collection of heretical pictorial and literary materials, and of harbouring a subversive" as the Judge said. Anybody could tell that the charges where only ostensible reasons to condemn the Commanders, while in fact the rising authorities' aim is simply to eradicate the old representatives. Their intentions are so manifest that it makes me wonder how everybody manages to maintain such composed demeanours. Is it me who is being hysteric or most people just prefer to live in an insidiously blissful ignorance? In all honesty, let them continue to fester in their state of delirium and wait for things to come to them. I am willing to take my chances.

I pause in my steps to glance up at the luminous moon, as its gentle light echoes back upon hitting the ground. The nocturnal breeze wraps its callous fingers around me making me clutch my cloak closer about myself. Realising that the meeting place should be somewhere here, I finally look around to take in my surroundings and assert my location. The area region around me is surrounded by big trees, hidden from the main road and dingy with time. After a while I can discern a dark building, standing about thirty meters on the right. Obscured from view, the building that I know to have been once a library is now merely a derelict vestige of the past life. A long time ago, a silly me wished for something new and exciting to happen and I told myself that I would do everything to take part in it. And I guess I have had my wish granted but in the end it turned against me. I cannot help but laugh at the irony of this all. Now that my wish had come true, I am seeking the way to run away as far as I can. As far as they will help me to…

Only now realising that I've unconsciously made my way towards the building, I stop to find myself in front of the library's main façade. Yes, this is the place I have been instructed to come to in the letter. Now all that is left for me to do is wait and hope that they will come, that the letter was not a ruse. I have always been a strong woman, but it seems like the world has turned upside down, so how could I be surprised if my own intrepidness left me at this moment? I am snap out from my contemplations as a small hand is placed firmly on my shoulder. I hear a soft feminine voice as I can feel a chill running down my spine as the warm air along with spoken words hit my ear.

"Stay quiet. Walk carefully but keep our pace and follow us."

Clearing my mind, I turn around and my blue eyes meet with her brown ones. Offred. At least that's the only name I know her by. Behind her a tall man is standing; I can tell with certainty that it is Nick. So there is still a chance for me. They said they would help me and I have to trust them. After all, I don't really have anything to lose.

Without further ado, they both start to walk away and I hesitate only for a split second before following them. This time the best word to describe what I feel is trepidation. I am all too aware of the fact that they could be deceiving me. Millions of reasons as to why they would run through my head but then again, tricking me wouldn't really be of any benefit to them, would it? Therefore, no matter what their motives and intensions are, they are offering a way to escape. To where I cannot tell but I have to believe that I am stepping into the light. Was this how she – Offred felt when this same man came to rescue her? Was she also oscillating between these two possibilities and maybe had the same reasons to follow?

For the second time tonight I laugh at the irony of this outcome as we walk away into the darkness of the night, away from Gilead and its regime, never looking back.

Notes: I would appreciate any thought you have on this, especially since this is the first piece I have ever posted.


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